Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
*Poland, Geography
Location:
Central Europe, between Germany and Belarus
Map references:
Asia, Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the
World
Area:
total area:
312,680 km2
land area:
304,510 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total 3,114 km, Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km,
Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Slovakia 444 km,
Ukraine 428 km
Coastline:
491 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent
precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers
Terrain:
mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border
Natural resources:
coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt
Land use:
arable land:
46%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
13%
forest and woodland:
28%
other:
12%
Irrigated land:
1,000 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
plain crossed by a few north flowing, meandering streams; severe air and
water pollution in south
Note:
historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of
natural barriers on the North European Plain
*Poland, People
Population:
38,519,486 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.35% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
13.59 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
9.59 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
72.2 years
male:
68.14 years
female:
76.51 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.97 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Pole(s)
adjective:
Polish
Ethnic divisions:
Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990 est.)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and
other 5%
Languages:
Polish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1978)
total population:
98%
male:
99%
female:
98%
Labor force:
15.609 million
by occupation:
industry and construction 34.4%, agriculture 27.3%, trade, transport, and
communications 16.1%, government and other 22.2% (1991)
*Poland, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Poland
conventional short form:
Poland
local long form:
Rzeczpospolita Polska
local short form:
Polska
Digraph:
PL
Type:
democratic state
Capital:
Warsaw
Administrative divisions:
49 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Biala Podlaska,
Bialystok, Bielsko Biala, Bydgoszcz, Chelm, Ciechanow, Czestochowa, Elblag,
Gdansk, Gorzow, Jelenia Gora, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Konin, Koszalin,
Krakow, Krosno, Legnica, Leszno, Lodz, Lomza, Lublin, Nowy Sacz, Olsztyn,
Opole, Ostroleka, Pila, Piotrkow, Plock, Poznan, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow,
Siedlce, Sieradz, Skierniewice, Slupsk, Suwalki, Szczecin, Tarnobrzeg,
Tarnow, Torun, Walbrzych, Warszawa, Wloclawek, Wroclaw, Zamosc, Zielona Gora
Independence:
11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed)
Constitution:
interim "small constitution" came into effect in December 1992 replacing the
Communist-imposed Constitution of 22 July 1952; new democratic Constitution
being drafted
Legal system:
mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal
theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader
democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 3 May (1791)
Political parties and leaders:
post-Solidarity parties:
Democratic Union (UD), Tadeusz MAZOWIECKI; Christian-National Union (ZCHN),
Wieslaw CHRZANOWSKI; Centrum (PC), Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI; Liberal-Democratic
Congress, Donald TUSK; Peasant Alliance (PL), Gabriel JANOWSKI; Solidarity
Trade Union (NSZZ), Marian KRZAKLEWSKI; Union of Labor (UP), Ryszard BUGAJ;
Christian-Democratic Party (PCHD), Pawel LACZKOWSKI; Conservative Party,
Alexander HALL
non-Communist, non-Solidarity:
Confederation for an Independent Poland (KPN), Leszek MOCZULSKI; Polish
Economic Program (PPG), Janusz REWINSKI; Christian Democrats (CHD), Andrzej
OWSINSKI; German Minority (MN), Henryk KROL; Union of Real Politics (UPR),
Janusz KORWIN-MIKKE; Democratic Party (SD), Antoni MACKIEWICZ; Party X,
Stanislaw Tyminski
Communist origin or linked:
Social Democracy (SDRP, party of Poland), Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz; Polish
Peasants' Party (PSL), Waldemar PAWLAK
Other political or pressure groups:
powerful Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union); All Poland Trade
Union Alliance (OPZZ), populist program
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
*Poland, Government
Elections:
president:
first round held 25 November 1990, second round held 9 December 1990 (next
to be held NA November 1995); results - second round Lech WALESA 74.7%,
Stanislaw TYMINSKI 25.3%
Senat:
last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held no later than NA October 1995);
seats - (100 total)
post-Solidarity bloc:
UD 21, NSZZ 11, ZCHN 9, PC 9, Liberal-Democratic Congress 6, PL 7, PCHD 3,
other local candidates 11;
non-Communist, non-Solidarity:
KPN 4, CHD 1, MN 1, local candidates 5
Communist origin or linked:
PSL 8, SLD 4
Sejm:
last held 27 October 1991 (next to be held no later than NA October 1995);
seats - (460 total)
post-Solidarity bloc:
UD 62, ZCHN 49, PC 44, Liberal-Democratic Congress 37, PL 28, NSZZ 27, SP 4,
PCHD 4, RDS 1, Krackow Coalition in Solidarity with the President 1, Piast
Agreement 1, Bydgoszcz Peasant List 1, Solidarity 80 1
non-Communist, non-Solidarity:
KPN 46, PPPP 16, MN 7, CHD 5, Western Union 4, UPR 3, Autonomous Silesia 2,
SD 1, Orthodox Election Committee 1, Committee of Women Against Hardships 1,
Podhale Union 1, Wielkopolska Group 1, Wielkopolska and Lubuski Inhabitants
1, Party X 3
Communist origin or linked:
SLD 60, PSL 48
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) consists of an upper
house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or Diet (Sejm)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Lech WALESA (since 22 December 1990)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Hanna SUCHOCKA (since 10 July 1992)
Member of:
BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNDOF, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Kazimierz DZIEWANOWSKI
chancery:
2640 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009
telephone:
(202) 234-3800 through 3802
FAX:
(202) 328-6271
consulates general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
*Poland, Government